The present invention relates to a plug-in connector according to the precharacterizing clause of Patent claim 1.
Plug-in connectors of this type are used, in particular, for connecting airbag firing systems and for fitting onto their firing element receptacles. The firing element receptacles are situated at locations in an automobile where slimline dimensioning of the plug-in connectors is important for reasons of space.
Plug-in connectors for connection to a firing element receptacle are already known, these connectors having a firing element adapter, locking arms and a plug body, the plug body receiving a connecting cable in a cable-receiving groove (9) which is provided with retaining teeth (10). The connecting cable is connected to contacts and a housing cover closes off the housing body at the top.
In the past, the fastening of the housing cover to the housing body was achieved unsatisfactorily, inasmuch as forces acting on the connection cable transversely to its longitudinal extent were able to cause the cable to be torn out and the housing cover to be lifted off.
The airbag plug according to the prior art (for example EP 0 591 948) has, furthermore, secondary locking means, which comprises locking arms which are arranged on a stem captively fastened to the plug housing and are pushed through the housing cover between the locking arms and the plug adapter. Consequently, unintentional detachment of the airbag plug from the firing element receptacle was made impossible. In the case of this known plug-in connector, removal of a jumper from the firing element pins takes place when the plug adapter is inserted into the corresponding counterpart on the firing element receptacle. Thus, at a time when the plug-in connector has not yet arrived in its final position on the plug receptacle. This may result in an undefined position of the plug-in connector, it not being possible to check the position of the secondary locking means.
The present invention is based on the object of improving a plug-in connector of the generic type in such a way that tearing out of the housing cover is impossible and checking the position of the plug-in connector and of the secondary locking means becomes possible electrically by means of the jumper, without any additional outlay.
This object is achieved according to the claims. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are characterized in the subclaims.